Health authorities in Harbin are under attack for providing safe-sex lectures to prostitutes, with police and some residents of the city arguing the sermons give legitimacy to the illegal profession.

The disease prevention and control center of Harbin, capital of northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, organized a lecture last Wednesday on AIDS and safe sex for more than 50 women involved in the city's sex trade, according to the Harbin Daily.

The two-hour lecture covered AIDS prevention, the importance of using a condom and how to use one properly, and for the first time allowed the sex workers to discuss their occupation openly.

After the activity, the center staff also distributed boxes of condoms to the attendees for free, and gave them the center's phone number in case they have questions or problems in the future.

Some residents of the city questioned the scheme.

"If you provide a lecture to sex workers publicly does that mean prostitution has been recognized (as legal)," the newspaper quoted a woman surnamed Huang as saying.

"While public security authorities are making efforts to wipe out prostitution, disease control authorities teach them (sex workers) how to protect themselves when they are doing illegal business," Huang said.

The center noted that prostitution does exist, despite continuous police efforts to crack down on the sex trade, and spreading information about diseases and prevention is a practical and realistic approach to the issue.

Wen Yingchun, an official in charge of the center's AIDS prevention and control division, said sex workers are among those who are most vulnerable to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

"If we neglect this group of people, it's irresponsible," Wen said.

The sex workers said they are strongly in favor of such lectures. An unnamed prostitute said she had never realized how large a risk she was taking with AIDS, and didn't know how to protect herself before the lecture.

An entertainment venue manager who took several sex workers to the lecture said he would take part again as long as police aren't involved.

Police, however, said the center's intentions are good, but the lectures could prove embarrassing to public security authorities.